Reloading cartridge implement



('No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. F. FELLOWS.- RELOADING CARTRIDGE IMPLEMENT.

,461.. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

W/TNESSES:

AN DREW RGRANAM. PHOTO'UTHD. WASNINGTONJIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

C. P. FELLOWS. RELOADING CARTRIDGE IMPLEMENT. No. 556,461. Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

W/TNESSES:

ANDREW B MAHAM PHOTO-Llm0.wA5MlNeToN.uc

NITED STATES ATENT FFicE.

CHARLES F. FELLOlVS, OF VEST OHELMSFORD, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PERLIE A. DYAR, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

RELOADING CARTRIDGE IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 556,461, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed August 6, 1895. Serial No. 558,444. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. FELLOWS, of est Ohelmsford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reloading-Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tools for removing the exploded primer from a shell, the contents of which have been discharged, and replacing a new one, so that the shell may be again used.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple and comparatively-inexpensive tool which can be used for the purpose above mentioned without transferring it from hand to hand many times and to have its parts so constructed and arranged that the operation of discharging or ejecting the exploded primer and replacing a new unexploded one will take a very short time and can be carried on continuously. Vith all of the tools with which I am acquainted the ejecting of the exploded primer and the replacing of a new one require that each primer shall be placed by hand in the aperture in the shell prepared to receive it and also that the tool shall be transferred from hand to hand in ejecting the exploded primer from the shell, thereby taking a very long time for a comparatively simple operation.

The invention therefore consists in improvements in reloading-tools for cartridges by means of which the exploded primer may be quickly ejected from the shell and a new one inserted expeditiously and with certainty and precision.

It further consists in means for feeding the primers continuously to that part of the tool where they will be inserted in the shell; and it also consists of the other features of the invention,which are hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the letters marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of tool in which my invention may be embodied. Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, on the line 2 2 of Fig; 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the guideway for the repriming portion of the tool and its parts detached. Figs. 4 and 5 show detached the movable strips for checking the passage of the primers through the chute. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the ejector for the primer and its adjacent parts. Figs. 7 and 8 show a modification with respect to the devices for controlling the movements of the primers through the chute or guideway. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 show another modification with respect to the same.

The tool has the general appearance of a pair of nippers for punching rivet-holes, it

having the two complementary parts a a, pivoted together by a through bolt or rivet b. The two parts a and a are curved at one end to form handles 0 c, by which they may be opened and closed, and at the other end they have opposing jaws (Z d, the central portion a 6' being straight. The jaws are provided with the repriming devices, while the mechanism for ejecting the exploded primer is attached to the straight portion of the leg a.

The part c of the leg at is provided with an outwardly-projecting arm f, which is frustoconical at its end and cylindrical throughout the remainder of its length. This arm is for removing the crimps at the end of the shell, where there are any, and slightly flaring the mouth thereof, so that the bullet may be easily inserted in place after the charge of powder has been poured in the shell.

The shell is grasped by the fingers and its open mouth is placed around the end of the arm, and it is then twirled around until the crimps are all removed and the mouth slightly enlarged. It is hollow and may be also employed for placing the bullet in the shell. After the shell has been thus treated its exploded primer is ejected by the following device: Attached to the part c of the leg a is a frame 9, having the side bars g g and an end cross-bar g The latter has a recess 9 to receive the closed end of the shell and has a through aperture 9 slightly larger than the primer, which aperture is so located in the recess that when the shell is placed in the latter it is directly in line with the primer. The side bars g g at their upper ends have curved slots 9 with seats 9 at the ends thereof to receive studs or pintles c projecting out from the part 6' of leg a. Between the side bars of the frame is supported anarm h, which is adapted to enter the shell, there being a finger h at its free end to engage the exploded primer and eject it through the aperture g. The arm is pivoted in the side bars of the frame, and has also a longitudinal movement relatively to the same. The pivot 2' extends through longitudinal slots t" in the side bars and is held normally in the upper ends of said slots by curved strip-metal springs 1' i which have their lower ends secured by rivets 2' to the side bars g. The pivot-rod t' is slabbed off on one side, so that when the frame is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the flat spring pressing against the flat part of said red causes the latter to be thrown forward, as shown. in said figure.-

In order to move the arm h longitudinally relatively to the frame I provide the leg a with a cam e and mount a roller 7L2 on the pivot 13 in a slot in the upper end of the arm. Then when the frame is swung in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1 the roller 72. will ride up on the cam 6 and the arm will be forced downward, the slots 7 guiding the pivot i as the arm moves. Then the frame is swung back the springs return the arm to its normal position. At 71. is a framework or stop to hold the shell in proper position after it has been inserted in the frame.

\Vhen it is desired to remove an exploded primer the shell is slipped on the arm h, and the shell is then placed in the frame so that the primer is in line with the aperture g. The frame is then swung forward, which causes the arm to be moved downward, as aforesaid, and the finger 7i thrusts the primer from the end of the shell through the said aperture g. The shell is then ready to-have a fresh unexploded primerinserted, and this is done by mechanism on the jaws, as will now be described.

The jaw d has a punch kypivoted in a slot in the end thereof, said punch having a rounded top, against which a spring 7c presses to hold it in any position which it may assume. The jaw cl has a curved slot in the end thereof with a seat to receive the flange on the end of the shell.

According to the m ethod formerly practiced of priming the shell the shell was inserted in the aperture in the end of the shell. Then the cartridge was seated in the aperture in the jaw d and the jaws brought together, which would cause the rammer 71; to press the primer down into the aperture in the shell; but this operation took considerable time, and hence I have been led to provide means by which the primers are fed automatically to the j aws, and it is merely necessary to place the shell in its seat and bring the jaws together to accomplish the priming of the shell.

I provide one of the jaws d with a chute or guideway Z capable of holding a large number of primers, and which is provided with an enlarged mouth Z for their easier insertion. A door is pivoted on the chute to prevent the primers from spilling out. The jaw 01 is also provided with means for automatically feedin g the primers, one at a time, to be inserted in the shell. The chute is secured to a suitable base-plate m with depending side walls on, which closely fit across and beside the jaw 61. They are held in place on the jaw by means of pins (1 in slots m in the side walls m and a, spring m secured at one end to the said side walls and having its other end lying under the head of pivot-bolt b. The chute Z ends in a short open-ended tube or guide 0 in the path of the rammer and which extends through the base-plate, so that when a primer enters from the chute into it the rammer can force it therethrough into the shell.

As thus far described, the different devices illustrated by Figs. 3, 7,. and 9 are all alike; but they are slightly different in respect to the means for automatically checking the passage of the primers-through the chute and feeding them one by one to the guide.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, it will be seen that on one side of the chute there is secured at one end a fiat metallic strip a of spring metal, which is provided at its free end with a finger it, playing in a slot m in the base-plate m and normally lying outside the vertical lines of the guide 0, but adapted toenter into the guide when the free end of the strip is moved toward the chute. On the other side of the chute is also secured at one end another flat metallic strip 19- of spring metal, having at its free end a finger p, which normally projects through an aperture into the chute at the juncture thereof with the gu-id e, so as'to prevent the passage of primers therethrough, and it projects slightly into the guide for a reason hereinafter set forth. The two strips are connected by a link g.

In order to'operate the two fingers so as to permit the passage of the primer, I use the following means: The base-plate m is provided with an offset m with a rigid down wardly-projecting guide-flange m, which is at an angle to the longitudinal lines of the chute. The spring-strip p is also provided with a downwardly-projecting lip 10 the lip and the guide-flange converging, so that the distance between their nearest points is less than the diameter of the end of the shell. It

will be seen that when a shell is moved through at the same time the strip a is drawn toward the chute which thrusts the finger a into the said guide and prevents the primer from dropping until the shell leaves the guide r and the strips n and p fly back to their normal positions. hen they have resumed their normal positions, the finger p, which as aforesaid projects slightly into the guide 0, grasps the primer and holds it from falling out until the rammer 7t enters the said guide 0 and forces it down therethrough into the aperture in the. shell. Thus, if after a shell has had its end passed through the guide r it is desired not to drive the primer into it, it may be removed without the primer falling from guide 0.

For convenience the connecting-link q is soldered or otherwise secured to spring-strip 7) and has a lip extending over the strip n, but which is not secured to it, so that said strip a is movable independently of the other.

In Figs. 9, 10, and 11 I have shown a springstrip 8 as secured at its end underneath the chute and having a small finger s entering an aperture in the lower wall of the chute so as to prevent the primers from sliding down when they are not needed. The finger lies normally out of longitudinal lines of the aperture through the chute, but is thrust into the latter when the shell is placed in its seat in the jaw d. On the side of the chute is a spring-strip t, having a finger t, which normally projects slightly into the chute Z just before its juncture with the guide 0. It has a plate t to which is secured a cam-guide flange i which projects slightly into the vertical lines of the slot or seat in the jaw d for the shell. IVhen the shell is inserted in place, it presses strip 8 and finger 5 up and, engaging with the cam-guide t throws strip t to the side, thus moving finger 25 out of the path of the primer in the chute and allowing it to slide into the guide. It may then be forced downward by the rammer into the shell.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the strip a and finger u are arranged on top of the chute and are moved by the engagement of the shell with a camlip 16 secured-to the said strip a or formed therewith. The strip '2] is secured at one end to the chute and has a cam lip or flange 12 extending into the guide. It is so arranged that when the rammer is up it engages the primer and prevents it from dropping, but when the jaws (Z and d are brought together and the rammer engages it it is forced out of engagement with the primer and is held back until the rammer has completed the operation of inserting the primer into the shell. In order that the rammer shall move through the guide 0 and insert the primer exactly the proper distance in the shell, I provide a link (R, which is pivoted at a at one end to the part c of leg a, and has at the other end a slot a into which a pin a may pass, when the link is swung on its pivot to insert said pin into said slot a The slot (0 is of such a length that when the rammer is at the highest point in its movement it is in the guide 0 just above the discharge-aperture of the chute, and permits it to move just far enough to insert the primer in the shell.

I do not herein claim the mechanism for ejecting the primer, that being described and claimed in my application of even date herewith, Serial No. 558,443.

Vhat I claim is 1. The herein-described tool, comprising two handles pivoted intermediate of their ends, so as to form two forwardly-extending opposing jaws, a rammer pivoted in one of the jaws, a chute for the primers secured to the other jaw, the last said jaw being cut away so as to form a seat for the shell, and means operated by the seating of the shell for controlling the passage of the primers through the chute.

2. The herein-described tool comprising in its construction two handles pivoted intermediate of their ends so as to form two opposing jaws, one of which is cut away so as to form a seat for a shell, a chute for the primers detachably secured upon the last said jaw and provided with means forcontrolling the passage of primers theret-hrough, a guide to which the primers are delivered and a rammer secured t0 the other of the jaws and adapted to reciprocate through the guide.

3. The herein-described tool comprising in its construction two handles pivoted interme diate of their ends so as to form two opposing jaws, one of which is cut away so as to form a seat for a shell, a chute for the primers detachably secured upon the last said jaw and provided with means for controlling the passage of primers therethrough, a guide to which the primers are delivered from the chute, means for controlling the passage of the primers through said guide, and a rammer secured to the other of said jaws and adapted to reciprocate through the said guide.

4:. A reloading-tool provided with a ram mer, a guide for the primers, a seat for the shell, a chute for delivering primers to said guide, a finger adapted to enter said chute and operated by the placing of the shell in said seat.

5. A reloading-tool provided with a rammer, a guide for the primers, a seat for the shell, a chute for delivering primers to the guide, means for controlling the passage of primers through the chute, and movable means for holding the primers in the guide.

6. A reloading-tool provided with a rammer, a guide for the primers a seat for the shell, a chute for delivering primers to the guide, means for controlling the passage through the chute, and a finger normally 1ying in the guide for temporarily holding the primer therein.

7. A reloading-tool provided with a rammer, a guide for the primers, a seat for the shell, a chute for delivering primers to the shell, two spring-strips secured to the chute and each provided with a finger to intercept two subscribing Witnesses, this 20th day of the passage of the primers in the shell, said March, A. D. 1895.

strips each having a portion lying in the path v I T X of the shell whereby they are operated CHARLES FELLO thereby. Vitnesses In testimony whereof I have signed my MARCUS B. MAY, name to this specification, in the presence of ARTHUR \V. CROSSLEY. 

